Student Experiences
Students who took the long-term trend mathematics assessments during the 2021–2022 or 2022–2023 school years also responded to a survey questionnaire. Nine-year-old students were asked if they had a computer at home to use, which required a yes or no answer. Thirteen-year-olds were asked, "What kind of mathematics are you taking this year?" and were given five response options: I am not taking mathematics this year; Regular mathematics; Pre-algebra; Algebra; and Other. Both 9- and 13-year-old students were asked how many days they had been absent from school in the last month. Students' responses to these questions are compared below with those from previous assessment years.
Students’ responses to survey questions provide information with which to compare performance based on their self-reported characteristics and educational experiences. This information may be valuable in helping parents, educators, and policymakers understand what aspects of students’ experiences are related to achievement. Survey questionnaire results, however, do not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the characteristic or experience and student achievement. NAEP is not designed to identify the causes of performance differences. Numerous factors interact to influence student achievement, including local educational policies and practices, the quality of teachers, and available resources. Such factors may change over time and vary among student groups.
Absenteeism
Higher percentages of students report missing more school monthly compared to previous years
Students who took the long-term trend mathematics assessment were asked “How many days were you absent from school in the last month?” In 2004, the first year this question was asked, more than half of 9-year-olds (56 percent) indicated having missed no days in the last month. In 2022, the percentage of 9-year-olds who indicated missing no days of school was 45 percent, lower than all previous years this question has been asked. Conversely, the percentages of students who reported missing 5 to 10 days and more than 10 days were higher in comparison to all previous years.
Figure Trend in percentage of 9-year-old students in NAEP long-term trend mathematics, by number of days student absent from school in a month
| Year | None | 1 or 2 days | 3 or 4 days | 5 to 10 days | More than 10 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | |||||
| 2020 | |||||
| 2012 | |||||
| 2008 | |||||
| 2004 |
Computer Use at Home (Age 9)
Lower percentage of 9-year-olds have a computer at home to use compared to 2004
Nine-year-old students have responded to the question “Is there a computer at home that you use?” since 2004.
Seventy-five percent of 9-year-old students who took the LTT mathematics assessment in 2022 responded “Yes” to having a computer to use at home. There was no statistically significant difference compared to 2020 in the percentage of 9-year-olds responding "Yes" in 2023, but the percentage was lower compared to the 85 percent of students who responded “Yes” in 2004.
Figure Trend in percentages of 9-year-old students in NAEP long-term trend mathematics, by whether students have a computer at home to use
| Year | Have a computer at home to use | Don't have a computer at home to use |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 2012 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2004 |
Lower percentage of students eligible for NSLP have a computer at home to use compared to 2004 and 2012
Seventy percent of 9-year-old students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) responded “Yes” to having a computer to use at home in 2022, which is 3 percentage points higher than in 2020. Compared to earlier years when these data were collected, however, the percentage of eligible 9-year-olds responding “Yes” is 11 percentage points lower compared to 2012 and 4 percentage points lower than in 2004. While the percentage of NSLP-eligible students responding “No” to having a computer to use at home is 3 percentage points lower than 2020, it is higher compared to both 2004 and 2012.
Nineteen percent of 9-year-old students not eligible for the NSLP responded “No” to having a computer to use at home, which is not statistically significantly different from 2020. Compared to earlier years when these data were collected, however, the percentage of non-eligible 9-year-olds responding “No” is 12 points higher than in 2004 and 15 percentage points higher than 2012.
Figure Percentages of 9-year-old students in NAEP long-term trend mathematics, by eligibility for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and whether students have a computer at home to use: Various years, 2004–2022
| Whether students have a computer at home to use | Eligible for NSLP | Not eligible for NSLP | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2012 | 2020 | 2022 | 2004 | 2012 | 2020 | 2022 | |
| Have a computer at home to use | 74* | 81* | 67* | 70 | 92* | 95* | 81 | 81 |
| Don't have a computer at home to use | 26* | 19* | 33* | 30 | 8* | 5* | 19 | 19 |
Compared to their higher-performing peers, lower-performing 9-year-old students less likely to have a computer to use at home
Compared to 9-year-old students performing at or above the 75th percentile, a lower percentage of 9-year-olds performing below the 25th percentile in 2022 reported that they had a computer they use at home. Conversely, 31 percent of 9-year-old lower-performing students in 2022 responded “No” to having a computer to use at home which was higher than the 17 percent of higher-performing students who indicated “No.”
Figure Percentage of 9-year-old students in NAEP long-term trend mathematics, by whether students have a computer at home to use and by percentiles: 2022
| Whether students have a computer at home to use | Students below 25th percentile | Students at or above 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Have a computer at home to use | ||
| Don't have a computer at home to use |